Blooddrops On A Pendulum
by totorostories
Summary: Isabella Swan loves going for walks in the woods. But all that wandering has consequences...
1. Chapter 1

**Don't own Twilight. A new story for a new year, I have finally been inspired to get back on the saddle again with Edward and Bella, I hope this is to everyone's liking. And thank you, always, for reading and reviewing. -T**

1.

I ran. Past the wind in the trees, with the music in the air, to follow the birds in the sky. The forest around me was lush and beautiful, filled with all sorts of plants - grass that grew up to one's knees, and flowers everywhere. Tons of flowers.

I had wandered away from the farm on which my father, Charles, and I lived. My mother - bless her, had died in childbirth 18 years earlier. I was hardly the girl my father had thought I would be growing up though. Always running off into the woods, pretending I was off on some long adventure filled with pirates, fairies, and monsters of the worst kind.

Why, sometimes? Sometimes I even imagined there were vampires after me.

_"Isabella!" _I heard the voice of my father shout before grabbing my journal and running off toward the house. I smiled, suddenly breaking into laughter when I saw him standing on the front porch with his arms crossed, a sour expression dominating his features.

"You're getting to old for these games, my dear," Father spoke as I ran up and kissed his cheek.

"And you're growing too dull," I returned with a slip of the tongue. "Honestly Father, I would have thought with all your groaning about me not being a boy, you would approve of my sense of adventure."

"And you've ruined your dress - all that mud. If only your mother were here, she would have my spine for the way I spoil you like this."

Again, I giggled softly and he finally returned my smile. "What is it this time?"

"Mr. Newton is here to see you."

I huffed in defiance. Why couldn't he come on some other occasion? But Mr. Newton was harmless, really. Of course, he was all business and no imagination - he and his friends had been competing for my attention ever since grade school without so much of a thought as to whether I returned their feelings.

"Mr. Newton, indeed," I shuddered.

Suddenly, Michael Newton was there. "Ah, Miss Swan..." his eyes trailed down my blue dress and stopped short at my feet. "You look..."

The look on his face gave him away.

"Stunning."

_What a crock. _Instead of saying that out loud, I smiled politely. "Why thank you, Mr. Newton. Father and I hadn't expected any visitors today, won't you come in and sit down. I need to change as it is."

"Actually, thank you but no, I was just stopping by to inform you of the party my mother and father are having tomorrow evening. I - well, everyone would love it if you were able to pry yourself away from your obligation to studying for just one night." He smiled wider this time and then suddenly swallowed. "That is, with your father's permission," he turned to my father, "you are also most welcome to attend."

I tried to stifle my laughter as Father fidgeted in his place. "Well I suppose Isabella is old enough to make up her own mind about these things. I on the other hand have some things to attend to here."

They both turned back to me, expectant looks on their faces. I blushed crimson and thought for a moment. Parties were such regular occasions in this town it seemed, but I had already refused the offer of Mr. Yorkie at the last one and Mr. Newton was always so eager to talk to me. It was decided then, I supposed.

"Yes, yes I will go with you to your parents' party tomorrow evening, Mr. Newton."

Abruptly, a bunch of ravens flew up from one of the nearby trees, squawking loudly and I found myself shuddering. Again, I felt as though I was being watched.

Mr. Newton was delighted. "Splendid! " He shook my father's hand and then lightly grabbed mine, placing a kiss on my palm. "I look forward to tomorrow, Miss Swan." He turned back to my father, nodding. "Mr. Swan."

After he had gone, I looked impatiently at Father.

"What?" His defenses were up.

"You planned this."

"Possibly. You'll find a present on your bed, a new dress to fashion." He smiled and I kissed his cheek, starting to go inside the house."But Isabella, it's not to be worn out in the woods!"

I hardly heard him, too focused on the feeling that we were not alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Don't own Twilight. A/N: The vampires in this story are different from the ones in Twilight, which means they do not sparkle in the sunlight, but can never the less, not be seen in it. Further note of this will happen in later chapters.**

2.

That night the wind seemed to howl louder than ever before. Strange dreams visited me when I fell to sleep and several times I woke, almost sure that there was a giant bat outside my window looking in. I thought maybe I was coming down with something at first, but then remembering how active my imagination really was, I relaxed in my bed.

To be honest, I was looking forward to the party. It seemed as though the excitement would soak right down into my skin and I got the jitters just thinking about it. Father had bought the most lovely dress for the evening, white lace and ribbons for my hair. Just once, I found myself wishing my mother could be there.

I flipped over in bed once more and fell fast asleep.

In the morning all the tension from fretting seemed to be gone. I dressed quickly and went to do my chores downstairs, glancing back at the dress folded neatly in the corner one last time. I supposed Mr. Newton was a good man in his own way, but the thought abruptly occurred to me that he may be seeking a wife soon, if not already.

_Oh gracious, _I thought. _That might have been his intentions all along. _

Had Father also been along in the plan? I didn't think he would be so eager to be rid of his daughter and by himself - that seemed ridiculous. But at this point I would have to avoid Mr. Newton all night if I were to have any sense of peace about me. I sighed in frustration and looked up at the window to see the dawn had passed and the sun shone brightly across my face.

If I were to get any reading in today, I would have to start working.

"Do hurry up, my dear. Mr. Newton's carriage has just arrived!"

"Coming," I called down the stairs before looking at myself in the mirror one last time. My hair was pulled back part way with the white ribbon, but it still appeared as wavy as ever. The dress had fit perfectly, and I was pleased with how the lace touched my skin - my cheeks flushed at the thought of what Mr. Newton would say.

"For heaven's sake, quit messing around and let me see you!" Father practically shouted.

I rolled my eyes and quickly marched down to greet him and Mr. Newton at the door. Kissing Father on the cheek, I giggled as he looked me over with an approving grin on his face. "I take it this is fitting for the party?"

"You look lovely."

The door opened and there stood Mr. Newton, smiling in his suit. His family could afford the best, no doubt. "Miss Swan," he said, bowing. Internally I cringed at the thought of what had flashed in my mind this morning but I put on my best smile and curtsied back.

"Mr. Newton."

"Off you go then, and don't get your dress dirty by walking in any woods," Father warned as he stood watching us leave. I merely waved back, winking at him.

Mr. Newton filled the ride to his house with idle talk and endless chatter about small things, how the company he and his father ran had been doing and telling me of all the people who had been invited to this evening's event. When he mentioned a certain family, my interest perked up.

"The Cullens just moved here not too long ago. I'm not exactly sure what it is that Mr. Cullen does, but there are five children - all of them about our age. "

I was silent for a minute.

"They're _very_ well off," Mr. Newton added, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"I suppose it must be hard coming to a new place," I said back innocently. I didn't want to encourage the money lust he had in his eyes. Of course that only seemed to encourage his jealousy, his eyes flickering up to mine - a different kind of lust there now.

I glanced out the window of the carriage as it pulled to a stop and Mr. Newton was up and out, holding his arm out to me. As I took his hand in mine and climbed out of the carriage carefully, I looked up into an unfamiliar set of what looked to be red eyes. For a long moment I held them in my gaze, but then they were gone in a flash and I was left wondering if I had just been imagining things again.

My good friend Angela was waving at us from the door and I could hear the distinct sound of violins playing from inside the mansion. "What lovely music!" I exclaimed to Mr. Newton and he smiled, pleased with himself. "Tell me, do you play?"

"Sadly no, my parents always thought that I should be putting my time into other studies," he replied in a false sulk and I nodded quietly. I had always wanted to meet a man who could play an instrument such as the violin or the piano.

And then Angela and Jessica were there, meeting us at the bottom of the steps to his house. The night had grown a bit cold and I suggested that we go inside, wanting to hear more music and less chatting. When we made it inside, I glanced all around at the grand hall with all the people talking amongst themselves.

Finally, it was time for the waltz. Jessica seemed to giggle hysterically as she was whisked away by Mr. Newton and I sat down with Angela in the corner.

"Miss Swan, is it?" A voice like velvet asked abruptly and I looked up to see the most handsome man staring back down at me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Don't own Twilight, thanks for all the reviews! :)**

**3.**

As the stranger leaned down and touched his lips to my palm, I felt as though I would drop into a thousand pieces on the hard floor. "Mmm, lovely," he said as he stood upright and smiled at me. His eyes were sharp, focused. A dark green that seemed familiar. His hair was in disarray - a deep brown with red tints.

"Yes, I'm Isabella Swan. And who might you be?" I mused back before giggling with Angela.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he replied easily.

"You must be of the Cullens Mr. Newton spoke of earlier." I smiled to myself.

He nodded at me, and then took a careful glance around the room. "May I have this dance, Miss Swan?"

From my left, Angela gave a nudge and started to stand. "I'll be with Mr. Cheney," she vowed before sweeping herself away from the conversation. Mr. Cullen held out his hand and I hesitantly took it. He pulled me up with one swoop of his arm and I laughed.

"Call me Edward," he whispered in my ear and I blushed. From the corner of my eye I could see Mr. Newton's jealous face looking at us as he swirled around the room with Jessica.

It was easy to get lost staring at Edward as he led me out onto the dance floor and put an arm around my waist. I was about to look down when he started gliding us around. "Trust me."

I couldn't explain the sudden feelings I had but they were some of the strongest I'd ever felt - like time slowing to a halt. Something inside me was fluttering - I felt the way I did in the woods all the time, running to nowhere and finding a kind of fairytale inside it. The more we moved, the closer we seemed to get together. And I just knew suddenly, Edward wasn't going to be like anyone else I had ever met before.

As if he knew what I was thinking, Edward smiled back at me and we went faster. . .faster than everyone else in the room. And then it was as if it was just the two of us - I couldn't see anyone else anymore. "I've been waiting forever for you. . ." he murmured in my ear.

The ballroom came back into focus as he slowed us to a stop when the violins finally reached their climax. "What do you mean?" I stared back up at him, trying to figure out why he seemed so mysterious. Where had I seen him before?

And then the spell was broken as I looked away to see everyone else in the room - most of them watching us with curious eyes. "Soon, Isabella. . ." he said as he let me go and backed away. The loss was abrupt, I didn't like the hollow feeling that filled my chest at the loss of his touch.

Mr. Newton sat silent in the carriage as we arrived back at the farm. My father was waiting on the front porch for me and when I turned back to say my goodbyes, Mr. Newton just nodded curtly. Father was there then, helping me down and leading me back to the house.

As the carriage pulled away, my father grinned. "The dress remains in good order, I see! You must have been pleasantly entertained all evening. Did you dance a lot with Mr. Newton?"

"No actually, there was someone else there. Father, have you heard news about the Cullen family? I danced with one of their sons this evening. Edward was his name."

"They're new in town, a wealthy family from back east from what I've been told, why?"

"He said something earlier to me, something strange."

"I wouldn't put too much thought on it, my dear. You're a beautiful young woman, he was probably just nervous. Get some sleep tonight."

It was then I realized that we were standing inside by the fireplace. I kissed Father on the cheek and made my way up to my quarters, shutting the door behind me. Outside the moon glowed bright in the sky and I slithered into my bed quickly after putting on my nightgown.

There was a creak at the window and I looked over, spotting a large bat. I squinted, trying to look closer at it in the dark and that's when the window flew open. The creature suddenly flew inside, morphing into the all too familiar Edward Cullen.

As he swooped down and picked me up in his arms, I caught a glance at the mirror in my room and realized there was only one reflection - mine. And then I passed out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Don't own Twilight. Thank you for all the encouragement and for reading and reviewing this little piece. I appreciate it so much, and for your patience for this chapter. **

4.

Something cold and wet was pressing to my forehead, urging me forth to consciousness. I didn't want to leave this place, even if it was in my mind. The forest, the trees. . .everything that seemed like home to me. Had it all been a dream?

No, it couldn't have been. The smell of old stone and oak wood passed under my nose and I finally opened my eyes to see the sun glinting onto the pillow through the stain glass window that took residence beside the bed.

"Where am I?" I croaked out - my voice seemed crackly and faint.

No one answered as I looked around the large room. There was a dresser and a writing desk, as well as a vanity across from the bed. I slid forward, pulling off the wet cloth from my forehead and climbing off the comfortable resting place. Staring at myself in the mirror, my eyes looked a bit sunken in, dark circles under them.

I noticed some clothes laying on the top of the dresser and hopped over to it, collecting the dress in my arms. It was a light blue color and very fancy looking, but I couldn't very well stay in my nightgown all day.

I slipped the nightgown over my head and put on the fancy blue dress, concluding that I wasn't afraid - this would just be another adventure. I did worry about my father though and then the panic of knowing he would be looking for me out in the woods began to sink in. I couldn't very well stay in this place - scared or not.

As I opened the door and looked out in the hallway, I could hear the faint sound of voices coming up the stairwell. I snuck out and tip-toed down the hall, glancing around at all the artwork that hung on the walls and ceiling.

Just as I approached the stairwell, the voices grew quiet until there was only the sound of my breathing. My heart had started to pound louder and louder in my ears, a feeling of unease setting in my stomach. Someone had started to play the piano.

The music was unique - a soft lullaby wafted up to me, seeming to hypnotize my ears. I felt a pulling in my heart and all thoughts seemed to leave my mind at once as I glided down, allowing my senses to be overtaken with the melody.

When I reached the bottom of the staircase, I glanced around for the source of the tune and walked on, determined to reach it. There was a room at the end of the hallway that had the doors opened. I approached cautiously and peeked around the corner to see the man from last night - Edward, playing with his back turned to me.

"Come in, my love."

Blushing at the sentiment, I walked in and watched as he abruptly stopped playing and turned to greet me. His eyes traveled up and down my figure before smiling. His mouth betrayed him as my eyes zoomed in on his teeth - there were fangs. I took in a sharp breath.

In an instant, he was standing before me. "Don't be afraid, Isabella," he whispered as a cold hand trailed down my cheek.

"Where am I?" I questioned him in a daze. Everything about him intoxicated me and my chest seemed to flutter at the sound of my name on his lips.

"Not far from home, I assure you."

The next minute, I was practically sputtering out my words. "You're a ...a ..."

"Vampire? Yes."

I should have been afraid for my life, but instead, I reached up and ran a finger across his lips. I had be positive that this wasn't a dream. His head came down as he stood watching me carefully, no doubt wanting to make sure I wouldn't run.

I couldn't have run even if I had wanted to, the pull was too strong to ignore. "You're so beautiful," he murmured softly in my ear as he took my hand and kissed it the same way he had at the party.

My palms tingled and a nervous laugh came bubbling up my throat. "How is this possible?" I asked. "It feels like a fairytale."

Edward suddenly pulled away and said, "Fairytales follow the living, Isabella. Curses follow the dead." There was a bitterness to his voice that I couldn't place. "My family was cursed by a witch long ago, making us have to forever wander this earth as creatures of the night."

"I thought the legends of vampires were just stories," I said, looking him full in the face. He was so handsome my heart ached.

Instead of addressing my thoughts, he replied, "I swear I won't let anyone hurt you. You're mine now, Isabella." He grabbed my hand in his cold one and practically threw me on top of his back. "I want to show you something."

The next thing I knew we were down the stairs and out the door, flying through the forest at speeds I hadn't even dreamed of. "I thought you couldn't be out in the sun?" The blaze of the afternoon threatened us with each and every step. We danced in and out of the shadows of the trees before stopping at the edge of what appeared to be a huge open meadow.

"Some things you think you know are mere fabrication, my love. Others, well. . .not so much."

I climbed off his back and stepped out into the full force of the pure blue sky, urging him forth with my gaze. If I belonged to him now, then he also belonged to me. He took a small step forward and I gasped.


End file.
